Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter as it provides me with the opportunity to update her on the building project to provide a new school for Malahide Portmarnock Educate Together National School on lands at Broomfield, Malahide, County Dublin. As the Deputy has outlined, Malahide Portmarnock Educate Together National School is currently in interim accommodation in the former Teagasc building at Malahide Road, Kinsealy.

Fingal County Council, under the memorandum of understanding between the Department and the City and County Management Association for the identification of new school sites, identified the site for the new school in Broomfield. The site was recommended by Fingal County Council as suitable for the development of school facilities and acquired in conjunction with Fingal County Council under the Fingal model agreement. Planning permission was submitted to the local authority on 4 March for the development of a new two-storey, 16-classroom primary school. The Department received notification that the planning permission application was refused by the local authority on 27 April 2022. The Department has had a post-refusal meeting with Fingal County Council, which was constructive. During the meeting council officials pointed out factors which could be addressed in a new planning application, including pedestrian access to and from an adjacent housing development. The Department's project manager and design team are liaising with the local authority in preparation for a new pre-planning meeting with a view to the submission of a new planning application for the school project as early as possible.

I am familiar with the school and I understand the case the Deputy is making on the long-term experience in temporary accommodation and the disappointment when it did not get through the planning process. We are continuing the work. We had a positive engagement at the post-refusal meeting and we are pursuing a pre-planning meeting with the intention of submitting a new planning application to move this apace. In saying that, I want to acknowledge, as the Deputy has, the extraordinary commitment from staff, students, the entire school community and the wider community. I know there is a huge investment that has been made and I appreciate the Deputy's bona fides in raising it here as well. An investment has been made by so many people in advancing this and it is our determination to look at making a new submission. We have gone through the process of the post-refusal meeting. The pre-planning process is the next step and then we will be submitting, as quickly as we possibly can, a new application to advance the school as quickly as possible.

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